Many organisations identify the importance of collaboration to their culture and yet they are not demonstrating the necessary behaviour in their business. I've noticed that many teams think they are collaborating yet in reality they are compromising.
I've realised that to truly bring individuals together within a team, where they are prepared to engage honestly by sharing their needs, emotions and concerns to collaborate then conflict is essential. Without conflict you cannot possibly have collaboration. And it is interesting to recognise that those same organisations who look to create collaboration do not overtly welcome and seek conflict.
Collaboration is about working with differences and seeking to find solutions that we wouldn't find as individuals. However, the underlying mindset many people bring is that someone has to win and someone has to lose - and this is not the mindset that supports collaboration. Too much energy is invested in winning a position rather than finding a collaborative solution that no-one would have thought of individually.
So, if you don't experience conflict when engaging in conversations or making decisions then this is a warning sign that you are probably compromising rather than collaborating.
“Collaboration can be an amazing experience of the power of leverage and unity, especially when each person continues to take responsibility for the whole of what is being collaborated on. This does not mean the old paradigm of controlling it all and not delegating but rather being aware that on a deep and profound level, we affect every part of what we experience, both consciously and unconsciously. Yes! we really are that powerful. This can sound a bit daunting at first, but give it a go and look at the world through those glasses of 100% responsibility and things really start to come alive and make sense.” - David Walker
I encourage all courageous leaders and those who aspire to be more courageous in the way they lead - to get out there with your people and encourage collaboration that embraces conflict. And know that it is the way you resolve it that is critical to the long term sustainability of collaboration.
I've realised that to truly bring individuals together within a team, where they are prepared to engage honestly by sharing their needs, emotions and concerns to collaborate then conflict is essential. Without conflict you cannot possibly have collaboration. And it is interesting to recognise that those same organisations who look to create collaboration do not overtly welcome and seek conflict.
Collaboration is about working with differences and seeking to find solutions that we wouldn't find as individuals. However, the underlying mindset many people bring is that someone has to win and someone has to lose - and this is not the mindset that supports collaboration. Too much energy is invested in winning a position rather than finding a collaborative solution that no-one would have thought of individually.
So, if you don't experience conflict when engaging in conversations or making decisions then this is a warning sign that you are probably compromising rather than collaborating.
“Collaboration can be an amazing experience of the power of leverage and unity, especially when each person continues to take responsibility for the whole of what is being collaborated on. This does not mean the old paradigm of controlling it all and not delegating but rather being aware that on a deep and profound level, we affect every part of what we experience, both consciously and unconsciously. Yes! we really are that powerful. This can sound a bit daunting at first, but give it a go and look at the world through those glasses of 100% responsibility and things really start to come alive and make sense.” - David Walker
I encourage all courageous leaders and those who aspire to be more courageous in the way they lead - to get out there with your people and encourage collaboration that embraces conflict. And know that it is the way you resolve it that is critical to the long term sustainability of collaboration.
